Norwalk's Datto Wins Tech Top 40 Two Years Running

Norwalk's Datto Inc., a startup founded seven years ago by a man who's not yet 30, was the fastest-growing tech company, as measured by revenue growth, for the second year in a row.

The Marcum Tech Top 40 honors companies in software, Internet and telecom, energy, life sciences and advanced manufacturing who are headquartered in Connecticut. Companies disclose sales figures to the Connecticut Technology Council, and if they had at least $50,000 in revenue in 2009 and at least $3 million in 2013, they're eligible for the honors.

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Twenty-eight private companies made the list, along with 12 publicly traded firms.

Datto reported that revenue in 2013 was $49 million, up from $25.8 million in 2012, $8 million the year before, and $3 million in 2010. Founder and CEO Austin McChord, 28, said the company's leadership is hoping that the company doubles in revenue this year, too, and continue growing at that pace.

Datto was founded in 2007, just after McChord finished college at Rochester Institute of Technology. The company had 5 workers in 2008 and now has about 330 with 250 to 275 in Connecticut. McChord said Datto has 35 openings in Norwalk.

"We're looking for smart people with a technical mind, and we can put them to work," he said.

He said Datto is growing so fast, it's a logistical challenge just to order workstations, computers and the like to keep up with the hiring.

Of the 40 winners honored at the ceremony Thursday at the Oakdale Theatre, Fairfield County is home to 16, and Hartford and New Haven counties have 10 each.

Most of the category winners were also repeats:

FuelCell Energy of Danbury, in energy; Alexion Pharmaceuticals of Cheshire, in life sciences; and iSend in Middlebury in Internet and telecom. Square 9 Softworks of New Haven has been a finalist before, but this was the first time it won in its category.

The only new winner was Revolution Lighting Technologies, which moved its headquarters to Stamford in 2012. The company is a conglomerate of formerly independent LED manufacturers and a lighting controls firm in California, Michigan and Minnesota.